The evolution of EU action in drug supply reduction: from intergovernmental cooperation to transnational networks

Abstract

This paper describes the evolution of illicit drug supply reduction policy as part of the European Union’s (EU) policy agenda in order to better understand how the EU adapts to domestic constraints. It serves as an introduction to a larger research project on the Europeanization of Drug Policies and is the result of an analysis of EU action in this policy area. The analysis of the policy documents produced by the EU, particularly successive Drug Strategies and Action Plans, and the evolving roles of EU agencies in this field provide a clearer picture of how the EU attempts to impact domestic drugs policy. In short, these attempts move from facilitating informal networks of law enforcement officers, which often resulted in Member-states resisting cooperation efforts, to creating Europe-wide networks of researchers producing information and intelligence, with which to better inform policy debates.